The NBA's Toughest Team and Player Options to Figure out in Free Agency
Before 2022 NBA free agency hits, there are roughly 40 team and player options that need to be sorted out.
While some decisions are obvious (Russell Westbrook and John Wall aren't passing up $47-plus million!), others are far more complicated.
Based on last season's production, role within the team, salary-cap implications and other factors, here's what should happen with the five toughest team and player options this summer.
Note: Options are ranked from lowest value to highest.
Hamidou Diallo, G/F, Detroit Pistons
1 of 5
Option Amount/Type: $5.2 million team option
Diallo is coming off a nice season, averaging 11.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals on 49.6 percent shooting in his first full season in Detroit. Still just 23, there's a fair amount of upside to be tapped into, especially if he continues to develop as a defender and three-point shooter (24.7 percent this year).
For a Pistons team that needs to be stocking up on young talent, keeping Diallo at such a reasonable number is worth it, right?
That depends on Detroit's free agency plans.
Restricted free agents like Deandre Ayton, Miles Bridges and Collin Sexton are more likely to be pried away from their existing teams with higher offers, and the $5.2 million the Pistons could open up by letting Diallo go could make a big difference. According to The Athletic's James L. Edwards and John Hollinger, "the Pistons are expected to do their due diligence and make a run at Ayton," who's been seeking a max contract from the Phoenix Suns.
Unfortunately for Detroit, a decision on Diallo needs to be made by June 28, which is before free agency begins.
If the Pistons like Diallo but want to keep their options open, they could always turn down his option but still re-sign later if Ayton or any of the other big names don't pan out.
This also leaves the potential for Diallo to leave as an unrestricted free agent, although few teams would have as big of a role for him as the rebuilding Pistons.
Decision: The Pistons should decline Diallo's team option but consider re-signing him later in free agency.
Patty Mills, G, Brooklyn Nets
2 of 5
Option Amount/Type: $6.2 million player option
Signed to be Kyrie Irving's backup last offseason, Mills unexpectedly wound up starting a career-high 48 games. While Mills performed admirably as a starter (13.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 37.5 percent from three in 32.7 minutes), he was even more efficient as a reserve (45.6 percent from three, 8.8 points and 1.9 assists in 23.6 minutes).
Brooklyn would obviously love to keep him, especially at this rate, considering Irving has now played in less than 50 percent of contests since signing with the Nets in 2019.
Should Mills look for more money, though?
Plenty of teams, including the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers and Washington Wizards, could use a veteran point guard off the bench who can knock down threes at a high level. Many of these either have cap space, a full mid-level exception ($10.3 million), or a tax-payer mid-level exception ($6.4 million).
If Mills doesn't opt in, he should feel confident a new deal worth as much or more than his $6.2 million player option is out there.
For the Nets, they should be thrilled about the prospect of Mills staying on his option.
Despite looking worn down over the last third of the season (7.1 points on 33.2 percent shooting in his last 29 games) and set to turn 34 in August, Mills' poor play have simply been a product of picking up Irving's slack following a short summer that included an Olympics run with the Australian national team.
Ultimately, Mills' decision could come down to how much confidence he has in the Nets as a championship contender. If Irving and Ben Simmons are both healthy and ready to go next year, Mills' workload will be greatly reduced as well.
This is a team that still has an extremely high ceiling as long as Kevin Durant is around, and Mills may feel like he has some unfinished business after last season didn't go as expected in Brooklyn.
Decision: Mills should pick up his option and stay with the Nets, who will (hopefully) have less drama and more team success next year.
P.J. Tucker, PF, Miami Heat
3 of 5
Option Amount/Type: $7.4 million player option
Despite turning 37 in May, Tucker looked better than ever with Miami this season.
His 7.6 points per game were Tucker's most since the 205-16 season, his 41.5 percent mark from three was a career-high and even his 10.6 assist percentage was the best of his 11 years.
Tucker is still a stout defender who can body up bigger post players with his strength, footwork and low center of gravity. His floor-stretching ability is needed in a starting lineup with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo as well.
Heat president Pat Riley made it clear he wants to keep Tucker next season, and a $7.4 million deal seems like a great value even at his age.
Of course, this is Tucker's decision, not Miami's.
If the Heat can guarantee him a starting role again, this remains an extremely attractive situation. After finishing with the No. 1 seed in the East and making it one game from the NBA Finals, Miami has all of its core pieces (Butler, Adebayo, Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, etc.) under contract for next year as well.
Could Tucker push for a full mid-level exception ($10.3 million) with another team? Absolutely. This could be an attractive option for a player whose career is down to its final act, especially considering Tucker has never made more than $8.3 million in any of his pro seasons.
Still, Miami could offer the best combination of money, role, and chance at a title, a place where Tucker already knows he can thrive both personally and with the team.
It wouldn't be surprising to see Tucker finish his career with this veteran-heavy Heat squad, one that should be happy to have him back.
Decision: Tucker should pick up his player option and stay in Miami. Seeking a little more money elsewhere may not be worth giving up his current role and chance at a championship.
Kyrie Irving, PG, Brooklyn Nets
4 of 5
Option Amount/Type: $36.9 million player option
Irving's talent level deserves a raise from his player-option number. His availability the past few years, however, says he deserves far less.
This will be an interesting negotiation between Irving and the Nets, who will likely end up back with each other next season. Between Irving expressing his desire to stay and no other team able (or possibly willing) to offer him a max deal as an unrestricted free agent, Brooklyn looks like home for now.
"For me, it has always been about being comfortable and loving where I'm at," Irving said previously. "I love it here. Once that summertime hits, I know we'll have some conversations, but there's no way I could leave my man seven (Kevin Durant) anywhere."
OK, so Irving wants to stay with the Nets, but this doesn't mean he wants to do it for less than $37 million, either.
Brooklyn can offer the 30-year-old point guard a five-year, $246 million deal. The key word here being "can," as there's no way general manager Sean Marks will be comfortable committing that kind of money given Irving's first three years with the team.
"I think we know what we're looking for,” Marks said via The New York Times' Tania Ganguli. “We're looking for guys that want to come in here and be part of something bigger than themselves, play selfless, play team basketball, and be available. That goes not only for Kyrie but for everybody here."
This seems to be headed towards a compromise, one where Irving doesn't have to play on an expiring player option, yet doesn't get a max deal, either.
Finding common ground (a three-year, $120 million deal?) would give Irving a raise in annual money from his player option and protect Brooklyn in the long run if his availability remains a concern.
Decision: Irving should not opt in, as he can make more money next year even on a short-term deal while staying in Brooklyn.
James Harden, G, Philadelphia 76ers
5 of 5
Option Amount/Type: $47.4 million player option
While signing Harden to a max deal would be the worst possible thing to happen to the 76ers this offseason, simply having the 32-year-old opt in to his player option would hurt the team's chances to upgrade the roster as well.
Philly is going to run into a hard-cap problem with big-money players like Joel Embiid, Harden and Tobias Harris on the roster, especially if Harden makes more than $42.7 million in 2022-23.
As Forbes' Bryan Toporek writes:
"If the Sixers add the No. 23 overall pick, the full $10.3 million non-taxpayer MLE and the $4.1 million bi-annual exception to the players they already have under contract for next season, they'd be at $113 million committed to 14 players. That means Harden could receive up to roughly $42.7 million as his starting salary on a new contract before the Sixers crossed the apron and ran afoul of the hard cap."
If Harden opts in, the Sixers would lose the use of their $10.3 million mid-level exception, leaving them with the $6.4 million taxpayer exception instead.
So, how much does Harden really care about this?
Coming off yet another All-Star season (although showing some noticeable decline in play), Harden could view this as his last chance at a big contract. However, taking $42.7 million or less as a starting point in a new deal would be extremely helpful to the 76ers' ability to add talent around him. That number also seems more than fair given his current level of play.
If Harden wants to cash in and help Philly's championship hopes, he'll choose not to opt in and work out a new deal instead.
Decision: Harden should not opt in and instead sign a new multiyear deal with the Sixers that starts low enough for the team to maintain use of its full non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
